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Month: February 2017

Exec elections: Low candidate turnout

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

Standing for the Exec elections closed last Friday at 5pm, with the final number of candidates standing at 48, with all the positions contested.

In 2016’s elections 105 candidates stood for the Exec positions, with 10,169 students voting in the elections, short of the record-breaking 13,500 from 2015.

The Exec Officers of the University of Manchester Students’ Union are the eight full time representatives of students at The University of Manchester. The roles are General Secretary, Education Officer, Women’s Officer, Diversity Officer, Wellbeing Officer, Activities & Development Officer, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer and Community Officer.

The position with the highest number of candidates this year is Diversity, with nine running for the role, while Campaigns and Citizenship only has three candidates standing, the lowest of the eight positions.
The current Exec Team were hailed last year for being the most diverse in Union history. The breakdown of this year’s candidates show that 42 per cent of candidates are white, 10 per cent black or black British and 21 per cent Chinese.

Naa Acquah has held the position of General Secretary for two consecutive years, and therefore is ineligible to run again, and seven students have put themselves forward to replace her.

Events will be happening across campus in the run-up to the elections to get as many people involved in the election activity — if you are interested in setting up your own event the Students’ Union urge you to get in touch with your society co-ordinator.

A spokesperson for the Students’ Union told The Mancunion: “We’re pleased with the number of candidates standing this year and we look forward to seeing them out and about engaging with students finding out their needs and wants.

“These elections are at the heart of why we as a union exist and look forward to what the candidates will bring”.

They also stressed the importance those who are elected will play “in the development of the new Students’ Union building. This is the first time the building has undergone such a major investment since 1957 — your vote in deciding this team will be crucial to the future Union’s development”.

Finally, they add that “whilst recognising that numbers were lower than the unprecedented numbers last year, the group overseeing the elections this year have heavily invested in raising potential candidates’ awareness of the different roles on the University of Manchester’s Students Union’s Executive team, and their key role in representing student views to the university”.

To see whose running visit the University of Manchester Students’ Union website: manchesterstudentsunion.com.

Voting opens on 3rd of March at 12:00pm and runs until the 9th of March 5:00pm, with the results being announced that evening.

Bristol student accidentally synthesises dangerous explosive

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

The University of Bristol was forced to evacuate a Chemistry building earlier this month, after a student inadvertently produced a dangerous explosive.

A statement by the university revealed that the chemical triacetone triperoxide, TATP, “was unintentionally formed during a routine procedure” being conducted by a Ph.D. student on 3rd of February.

The building was evacuated, and emergency services were called to the laboratory and carried out a controlled destruction of the substance.

TATP was the same substance used in the Paris attacks that took place in November 2015. It is easy to avoid detection as it does not contain hydrogen, but is also highly unstable.

Often, the illegal premises where bombs are being made are destroyed when it detonates early.

“Following a full investigation, we can confirm that the chemical triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was unintentionally formed during a routine procedure carried out by a Ph.D. student,” the university’s statement said.

“The student was following a published literature method and the risk of TATP as a potential byproduct had been identified during the risk assessment process.

“We have robust contingency plans in place to deal with incidents of this nature. As soon as the presence of TATP was identified, the student immediately notified those responsible for laboratory safety in the school.

“A series of actions were then taken which resulted in the precautionary evacuation of the chemistry building and surrounding buildings and the controlled disposal of the substance by the emergency services.”

They will review the risk assessment process to see if further steps can be taken to prevent a similar situation in future.

Woman found ‘bleeding heavily’ in Manchester’s Arndale Centre

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in News.

A 30-year-old woman has been hospitalised after being found seriously injured in in Arndale shopping centre on Friday morning.

According to The Manchester Evening News, an ambulance and police were called to the Arndale at approximately 8.45am and the woman was taken to North Manchester General Hospital.

Customers reported that the area around Topshop had been cordoned off while emergency services attended to the woman.

The casualty had apparently suffered severe cuts to her wrists and was bleeding heavily.

A spokesperson from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said “We were called to a shop on Market Street at 8.45am to concerns for a women’s health.

“We discovered a woman bleeding heavily from her wrists and she was handed into the care of the ambulance service.”

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) further stated that: “We sent a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance to the scene and a woman in her 30s was conveyed to North Manchester General Hospital.”

David Allinson, Centre Director for Manchester Arndale, told The Manchester Evening News:

“We can confirm ambulance services attended the centre this morning. The safety of all involved and our shoppers and staff remains our first priority.”

Reporters at The Manchester Evening News discovered that both Arndale and GMP received tweets from concerned customers:

Tommy Jack posted: “@GMPCityCentre any update on what happened this morning in the Arndale? Is she at least ok?”

Lydia Titterington wrote: “@manarndale what’s happened in @Topman…. no one is allowed to walk past the store.”

The Arndale replied: “Our team dealt with an incident in that area early this morning, and the area has now been reopened for shoppers.”

International students’ English “inadequate”, say a third of academics

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

A study by Times Higher Education of over 1,000 Higher Education staff has shown that academics have serious concerns about the readiness and ability of most students at their institutions.

According to the THE Teaching Survey 2017, one-third of academics believe that international students’ English is not adequate, and less than a quarter believe that students are in any way well prepared for classes.

The survey, which collated feedback from 1,150 academic staff from universities across Britain but also a few from the USA, Asia, Europe, Canada and Australia, heard that the vast majority of academics still enjoy and feel the benefit of lecturing, despite expressing concern about slipping standards of assessment, bureaucracy, and limited time to prepare their teaching.

A senior lecturer at an English university told the survey “few students will read the material on the reading list, [relying] instead solely on lecture handouts or PowerPoint slides”, while 52 per cent of academics said they knew students were turning up to seminars without preparation.

“We were told we are not allowed to ‘draw attention to’ those students who turn up to seminars having done no preparation whatsoever because it might deter them from attending future seminars,” said another, “and then the Key Information Set data for student attendance would be adversely affected.”

For almost half of academics (48 per cent), students’ schooling does not prepare them sufficiently for university, while one lecturer blames falling entry requirements for the high number of “almost illiterate” students who arrive.

9 per cent of academic staff “strongly disagree” that international students display the adequate level of English, with one lecturer telling the survey they did not understand “how some [postgraduate] students got their first degrees, as the quality of their written English is really poor.”

Academics lament the move away from the focus on teaching quality at their institutions, with 47 per cent of respondents not agreeing that good teaching can lead to opportunities for promotion. The focus instead on results and targets disappoints them — three-quarters of academics think that the Teaching Excellence Framework being introduced at UK universities will inaccurately assess teaching quality, while 43 per cent think the NSS gives students too much power.

“It seems that institutions are doing lots of evaluation, but they are not using these evaluations to promote people,” says Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Women in Media Conference 2017

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in Features.

At the end of last year’s Women in Media Conference, I received a message from one of the delegates. She wrote to tell me: “I only recently started being honest to myself about my interest in getting into journalism… I used to play it down and hide behind by lack of confidence.”

However she went on to tell me how “being around likeminded people really has made me more confident”.

It was after reading this message that I decided that the conference could not be a one-off. Building the confidence of female students considering a career in the media is exactly why the conference was born, and even if we had succeeded in boosting the confidence of just one delegate, it was worth the energy.

More women than ever are entering into the media: 65 per cent of journalists entering the profession over the past three years have been women, and our own Mancunion editorial team has more women on it than ever before, so it may seem from this fact alone that our work is done. Women have the confidence now to not see their gender as an initial exclusionary barrier to entering the media.

The keyword here, though, is ‘initial’. While at the lowest levels women now outnumber men, they are still on average paid significantly less than their male counterparts and only 22 per cent of female journalists are in senior management positions.

With the large numbers of female journalists coming through the ranks, the next generation could potentially see these figures toppled. However, it is because of this that events such as Women in Media Conference 2017 are so important — with real change on the horizon, it is not the time to be complacent.

Until those in the lower echelons of the media are encouraged to realise that the current statistics do not represent how the media should look, and as long as they are not introduced to role models who have reached the level they aspire to, then many may not be able to imagine that this could change.

While teaching a class of Year 9s last year, one told me simply that journalism was not a job for women — we need to make it easier to prove to this 13-year-old and many more around the world how wrong this is, and to do this we need more visible role models in senior levels of the media.

The only way of doing this is working from the bottom up — ensuring that women entering the media are doing so with an unflinching drive and determination to reach the top, and the belief that they will not be held back.

Ultimately, the conference aims to celebrate the incredible successes women have had within the media, to ensure that people are inspired and not deterred by discussing the obstacles or difficulties they may face. Our speakers will be living proof that our position within the media has vastly improved — the statistics may still be far from perfect, but instead of dwelling on the negatives, let’s highlight how far we have come to ensure that it keeps improving.

Last year’s conference was incredible, with over 70 delegates attending from all over the country to listen and learn from some of the very best women in the media.

This year it is only going to get better.

Our venue for Women in Media 2017, the People’s History Museum in Manchester City Centre, could not be more perfect, as the museum’s championing of “ideas worth fighting for” perfectly encapsulates the motivation behind the conference. What began as a realisation that less women, even at a student level, were embarking on careers in the media then turned into a few speakers coming to encourage our team, which then became a national conference, now supported by Amnesty International UK and the NUS. For us, it is clear that our ideas were definitely worth fighting for.

Guest speakers for this year’s conference include: Harriet Minter, the BBC’s Shelley Alexander, Kate Cocker, Nazia Parveen from The Guardian, Youtuber Grace Victory, BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern, Megan Lucero, Sue Turton, Channel 4’s Karthi Gnanasegaram and we even have our very own Polly Bartlett, one of last year’s co-founders, returning to speak about having ‘just made it in the media’.

The conference will include a diverse range of panel discussions with speakers from BAME and LGBTQ+ communities, and a talk on entering the media from a working class background. Alongside these we will have workshops on data journalism, developing ideas, getting into documentaries, and Q&A sessions on sports journalism, political reporting and a special Amnesty International panel ‘Journalism Under Threat’, where Sue Turton will discuss her experiences as one of the Al Jazeera journalists convicted by an Egyptian court on terrorism charges.

Students and young women from around the UK will get the opportunity to hear about and learn from these inspiring and successful women in media, as well as the chance to network and take part in this pioneering event. These speakers are just a few examples of what the conference has to offer, and there are still some very exciting announcements to be made.

Hareem Ghani, the NUS Women’s Officer, said about this year’s conference: “We know that women and their skills are under-represented at all levels of the media industry, which is why it’s so amazing to see what started as a small group of student journalists become such a ground breaking event.

“Hosting high profile inspirational speakers from journalism, TV, radio and blogging, the day allows young women thinking about careers in media to gain key skills and leave feeling empowered about their future.”

The conference will be held at the People’s History Museum in Manchester on the 4–5th of March 2017.

To see the full timetable so far visit our website at womeninmediacon.co.uk and join our Facebook event, and follow us on Twitter @womeninmediacon for all the updates about the conference.

Weekend and individual day tickets, at student-friendly prices, are still available on our website.

A student life: UOM Board Games Society

Written by Emma Shanks on . Posted in Features.

Picture this: Tuesday night, 8pm, Woolton Hall dining room, Owens Park. 20 to 30 students gather for a non-stop night of entertainment — and no, this is no boozy pre-drinks, this is the University of Manchester Board Games Society weekly meet-up, and I caught up with Jon Bebb, its Social Sec, to find out more.

“Once all the students who’ve eaten have been cleared out we just hang around for hours playing anything that takes our fancy from the massive collection of games.” He describes it as a place to relive the simpler old-time party classics, like Codenames, as well as an opportunity to discover a range of newer more complicated material, like The Game of Thrones board game (which takes 8 hours on average to complete).

“Sometimes people will turn up to play and not leave till about 3’o clock in the morning. The latest we’ve had was when a few guys were playing a game about shipping and stayed until the following morning when the kitchen staff were coming in to arrange breakfast for the next day.”

Jon is quick to emphasise how much of a casual environment the society seeks to create, something that appealed to him back when he joined two years ago. “A lot of people are a bit worried because they come and might have only previously played games like Monopoly, which we don’t play by the way because it’s not a good game —  hard to say that without sounding like an elitist twat — but we always try to be accommodating and we always make sure to thoroughly explain things.”

“I know when I first turned up I’d never played, or even heard of any of these games, but everyone was so welcoming and happy to explain things. I never felt as if people were looking down on me for not being familiar with stuff.”

When asked how he first got into the UOM Board Games Society back in his third year as an undergraduate, Jon told me that he had just been looking to get out and do something “a bit different. I was following certain people on the Internet who were talking about video gaming but who were also into board games, so I thought if there’s a society I’ll just turn up. Then I started getting so into it to the point where everyone kind of knew me and I felt obliged to take over”.

Though these days university funding is not given out based on membership, the society has over 600 affiliates on their Facebook page, from which a solid 20 to 30 are regular attendees — “this year I’ve tried to really push the idea that people can turn up whenever they want to make it more of a casual thing”.

The society has little interest for introducing tournaments into their program, and though there is certainly a feeling of competitiveness from time to time, “it never feels hostile, it’s more just a bit of fun between friends. There are plenty of other societies out there who do that rivalry stuff, so I don’t think we need to do”.

While the UOM Board Games Society is not big on socials, it does occasionally hold special holiday events of weekend-long board gaming marathons, starting at 10am and continuing into the early hours of the morning.

When asked if Jon had ever considered incorporating drinking alcohol into the society’s setting, he said: “I’ve always thought that playing board games is a good place for people who don’t drink, because that’s getting more common these days, and it’s nice to be inclusive.”

“While it’s always nice to have a small group of people who know each other and a given activity very well, if you want to actually grow as a society, you’ve got to make sure that you’re trying to appeal to as many different people as possible.”

Take for example his experience a few months ago at the Freshers’ Fair — “I found that it was very easy to profile people as they were walking past, according to the sort of person who looked like they might play board games (you can guess what I had in mind – white nerdy guy), so you have to be careful of that.”

As for funding, the society does not charge for entry. The Students’ Union usually allocate them the few hundred requested each year — “we don’t ask for much compared to other societies since we use the hall for free. All our money just goes to buying games and a few other minor things, like when we had our banner stolen last year and we had to buy a new one — that was annoying.”

The UOM Board Games society is open to everyone, whether you are an enthusiast or complete beginner so head on over to the next session and give it a go.

For more information, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Where from: “A small rural town called Taunton, Somerset — not a lot happens there, but I’m sure they’re proud of me.”

Course: PhD student in Philosophy

Balance between work and study: “It’s not a huge commitment actually, which is something that I’ve quite liked about doing it. We have quite a nice little deal with the people who run Woolton Hall, where they just let us use it, as long as we don’t completely trash the place, so the events just organise themselves. It’s on the same day every week, so it’s not like we need to plan anything. It’s pretty easy really, in that it doesn’t take up too much of my time, and it’s actually nice having that one day of the week when you know that you don’t have to work as hard as usual.”

Where he sees himself in 15 years: “Currently I’m pursuing the academic line, hence the PhD, so we’ll see where that takes me, but anything could happen right?”

Swastika and ‘Rights for Whites’ graffiti at Exeter University

Written by Iona Taylor on . Posted in News.

Exeter University has come under recent scrutiny after a swastika and ‘Rights for Whites’ sign were found graffitied in a halls of residence.

The swastika was carved on the doors of the campus hall, Birks Grange, and has since been removed.

This comes after the criticism of an Exeter Fresher’s Week sports social that included T-shirts emblazoned with handwritten racist slogans including the words “the Holocaust was a good time”.

The University of Exeter’s spokesperson has responded, saying that: “The university believes any form of racist or discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable and the actions of those involved are in contrast to the vast majority of students, who help to build our tolerant and inclusive university community.”

One student from Birks Grange described the “confusion” over the offensive images, pointing out that the swastika carved was slightly obscured and may have been there for some time. Upon noticing the sign, the university immediately conducted interviews of each member of the corridor in an attempt to find the culprit but have, as of yet, been unsuccessful.

This has come at a time where many of the leading Russell Group Universities are facing allegations of on-campus racism, leading to questions regarding the anti-Semitic nature of Britain’s universities. Baroness Deech, former senior proctor at Oxford University, has warned that Britain’s top universities are becoming no-go zones zones for Jewish students.

According to Baroness Deech, “amongst Jewish students, there is gradually a feeling that there are certain universities that you should avoid”, and she continued to include both University of Manchester and Exeter in her list. These comments have been contentious however, with the Union of Jewish Students arguing that the “UJS rejects the notion that there are ‘certain universities that you [Jewish students] should avoid”.

Whilst they acknowledge that there has been a recent spike in anti-Semitism in universities, they deny the claims of Baroness Deech “fully portray the experiences of Jewish students. It does a disservice to the thousands who are able to freely express their Jewish identities in whichever way they choose”.

Nonetheless, this comes at a time where UK Universities are facing a definite increase in anti-Semitic behaviour. The police were called to UCL after a group of Jewish students were barricaded in a room in the heat of an anti-Israel rally — they were told it would be unsafe for them to leave the room alone, and were forced to wait for the police to escort them across campus.

The University of Cambridge has seen the distribution of leaflets that have denied the occurrence of the Holocaust.

The Community Security Trust recently reported figures showing that anti-Semitic attacks against students or professors have doubled in 2016 in comparison to 2015.

Danny Boyle to help set up MMU’s brand new media school

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in News.

With the help of Bury-born director Danny Boyle, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is set to launch a brand new £30m media school.

Boyle, responsible for Oscar winners such as Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, and the visionary behind the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies, hopes the new school will encourage and enable home grown talent to make their mark in the industry.

The school expects to welcome 1,000 students per academic year, whilst working closely with existing media and arts institutions Manchester already can boast about, including: BBC, HOME, ITV, and Red Productions. It is predicted that the venture will accumulate a £13m boost for the local economy annually.

The International Screen School Manchester (ISSM) will provide courses in film, applied games, animation, sound design and special effects for screen, user experience design and immersive media content production.

Industry heavyweights from film, media and commerce have apparently already agreed to be a part of the school’s Industry Advisory Board which will be co-chaired by Boyle.

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, Boyle said he was delighted to be a part of the International Screen School Manchester: “Manchester is a prolific centre of media production already and the Screen School will create the talent needed in the North to create even more success.

“I’m really keen to see young people from all backgrounds given the opportunity to learn to be the filmmakers and media producers of the future, and to have the opportunity to tell their own stories — but in ways that we’ve never experienced before.”

Though the funding decision is expected to be signed off next week, it is believed that the media school will be half-funded by MMU whilst the other remaining half will be covered by a pot of government money intended to boost the economy.

If agreed at a meeting next week, work will begin to develop the project on a site on Manchester’s Oxford Road.

Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese told The Manchester Evening News: “The International Screen School Manchester will be a creative and digital skills powerhouse, supporting the creative and digital industries to secure the skills needed to drive innovation, growth, and transformation.”

Creative and industrial industries are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the region, with the industry growing faster than anywhere in the UK. Leese went on to say, “Manchester is Europe’s second largest creative, digital and media hub and the sector is growing faster than anywhere else in the UK.”

It is reported that the creative and digital industries are one of the fastest growing sectors in the Greater Manchester economy, accounting for over 55,000 jobs which in turn generates around £3 billion a year.

The Screen School will be a part of MMU’s world-leading School of Art.

Lecturers divided on the NSS boycott

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

The National Student Survey (NSS) is being used as part of the government ranking system, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), introduced this year. In response, the survey, now widely associated with the rise of tuition fees, has been met with nationwide boycotts and criticism.

The boycotts and campaigns, coordinated by the NUS, have encouraged students to ‘opt-out’ of the survey. According to the Union, if enough students boycott, the survey will become invaluable and the TEF unworkable.

The Students’ Union at the University of Manchester have been using their own #DontFillItIn initiative in support of the boycott. Their campaign includes a video, lecture shoutouts, banners and a blog created by Emma Atkins, Education officer. The blog not only addresses the questions and concerns about the boycott but also advertises the alternative Manchester Student Survey.

This week, concerns the University of Manchester have been pressuring various departments to oppose the boycott have been raised.

When asked, departments across the University of Manchester provided differing opinions on the NSS.
Many, including Arthur Garforth, Head of Teaching within Chemical Engineering, and Julie-Marie Strange, Head of History, have not taken clear positions on the survey but have encouraged students to make informed decisions.

However, Strange adds, unlike previous years, she has not “offered any incentives (e.g. iPad draw) to fill it”. Garforth, on the other hand, states “the dilemma for me is that we welcome all sources of feedback and act accordingly to develop future School and T&L Action Plans, so I will always be disappointed if NSS feedback is impacted on”.

In response to the original concerns, Richard Winpenny, Head of Chemistry, believed departments had not been pressured by the university but argued “the NSS is very important as it provides useful information to sixth-form students when they chose their university courses. As fees rise, it is ever more important students are as well informed as possible when they make choices”.

A spokesman from the university claimed  “the National Student Survey is an important way for the University to learn what it needs to do to ensure that Manchester students have the best possible experience while studying with us.  As a result, we encourage all eligible students to complete the survey”.

In strong support of the boycott, however, the English department, represented by Noelle Gallagher, have stated they “believe that the NSS does not provide an accurate or reliable means of measuring the quality of university education, and we object to the use of NSS scores as a means of evaluating teaching and assessing student fees”.

The range of responses has been said to indicate a lack of trust in the TEF amongst staff, who still wish to have some form of feedback structure still in place. Emma Atkins states, a recent unpublished survey, conducted at the University of Manchester, revealed an “unsatisfied picture” of staff with the TEF.

Instagram: The pros and cons

Written by Georgia Welch on . Posted in Arts.

In 2017 you would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not use, or at least is not aware of, Instagram.

The much-loved photo-sharing app was first launched in 2010 and later bought by Facebook in 2012. Since its inception, approximately 20 billion photos have been uploaded, with 90 per cent of users falling into an age bracket of under 35 years old.

With these figures in mind, it is clear that Instagram  has an enormous presence in the social media sphere of young people, so unsurprisingly it has garnered endless amounts of praise and criticism alike in its seven year existence.

Some have argued that Instagram detracts from the artistry of photography as a craft, to some extent, suggesting that the idea that anyone can easily take and showcase their own photos contributes to mediocrity in the field and also reduces the impact of truly great photography.

Naturally, of course, this calls into question what actually constitutes ‘good’ photography, seeing as though the art form is so inherently subjective and relies heavily on knowledge of both the photographer intention and the viewer’s perception, as well as the technical aspects of successful photography which tend to be learned or acquired in the study of photography as a medium.

Whilst Instagram may promote the art photography as  accessible for any young mobile phone user, why is this necessarily a bad thing? In the increasingly visual and technology-based culture we inhabit, the documentation and communication of one’s own life and interests through the most visual of mediums is something we ought to embrace, particularly if it allows users to develop their own creativity.

In addition, it is difficult to discuss Instagram without mentioning the concept of the ‘selfie’, which the app played an instrumental role in popularising.

Again, young people are criticised for the alleged vanity of celebrating one’s own appearance, but in a world where self-love and acceptance is largely discouraged and even shamed, surely Instagram’s propulsion of young people’s comfort in their own skin and exposure to a diverse range of people and body types, this is something that should be encouraged.

As one of the fastest growing social networks of the 2010s, Instagram ultimately has a positive effect on the art of photography, so long may it continue.

University of Manchester and SU “create a hostile environment for free speech”

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News.

Online magazine Spiked has published an analysis of censorship across 116 institutions which ranked the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union (SU) as red in their traffic-light system and the University itself as amber. They are suggesting that the University of Manchester and SU “collectively create a hostile environment for free speech”.

Spiked points to the University of Manchester’s verbal harassment policy, the SU stopping a Charlie Hebdo front cover from being displayed during the 2015 Refreshers’ Fair, and the banning of Julie Bindel and Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking in 2015 as evidence for their ranking.

It was the SU’s Free Speech and Secular Society (FSS) that originally invited the speakers, and Edgar from FSS released the following statement to The Mancunion: “The University of Manchester has been supportive of free speech, in stark contrast to the Students’ Union.

“The Students’ Union has actively censored events. Some minor clarifications to the Safe Space policy have been passed last year, so we hope that the arbitrary, censorious attitude of the Students’ Union is a thing of the past.”

The Safe Space policy states that “freedom of speech is important, yet intention to incite hatred is never acceptable”. The SU detailed the reasoning behind banning the speakers in a statement released in 2015 which can be viewed on their website.

The SU’s Diversity Officer, Ilyas Nagdee, told The Mancunion: “The visiting speaker process is the same for all societies. They submit a speaker request, the Union and University have a system to look through all speaker requests to ensure they comply with all regulations”. He went on to highlight the SU’s opposition to policies which it sees as limiting to free speech such as the government’s Prevent Agenda. Ilyas said this has led to some Muslim students “not picking certain modules or feeling wary of engaging in political conversations in seminars”.

But not everyone is taking Spiked’s analysis seriously. WONKHE, the higher education blogging site, said in their Monday Morning HE Briefing:“The politically-charged magazine surveys universities, examining the policies and actions of universities and students’ unions, including anecdotes and press coverage, to rank them with a red, amber or green traffic-light award.

“The methodology may well be beyond proper scrutiny, but the rankings do have an ability to make a splash in sections of the press that are hungry to paint life on British campuses as chilling outposts of political correctness. Heaven forbid.”

Jeanette Winterson, Professor of Creative Writing at University of Manchester, talked to The Mancunion about the differences between private and public platforms.

“It’s very different if you’re behind closed doors thrashing something out amongst equals… [as opposed to] where there’s any hierarchical situation… you’ve got to be much more careful, because the person with the power has to be both better mannered and restrained and not always say the things that are in his or her mind.”

But with regards to guest speakers she believes that everyone should be allowed have a platform.

“If they’re saying it in private let them say it in public, I’d rather the thing had some good fresh air round it than it was festering away in some ugly corner. So this has to be allowed to happen but it also has to be countered and the business of allowing someone to speak is not the same as agreeing with them or welcoming them or not challenging them.”

“None of us is free from prejudice or cliché or assumption…[but] when we hear people who take an extreme position, it can often make us think how much we hate that position anyway and then we work harder to stamp it out in ourselves.”

She went on to say that it can also motivate people to think, “I want to stand out against that, I’m not just going to be a passive person”, and finished by saying: “Let’s hear what people have to say in the wider arena but in the private sphere of how we manage our lives in the workplace particularly, let’s be very careful about how we talk to one another because hierarchies of gender and of power are real. And to me that’s what you’ve got to watch every day, how you talk to somebody does matter.”

A spokesperson from the University of Manchester stated:”We reject the claims made about the University in this ranking.

“The University of Manchester is fundamentally committed to freedom of speech, and we have a Code of Practice to protect and uphold this and to ensure speakers act within the law. We work closely with students, staff and the Students’ Union to support hundreds of events each year and give as many people as possible the opportunity to debate a wide variety of topics safely and constructively.”

A round up of Manchester’s Fossip

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in News.

Sometimes the news is full of foodie related gossip, and recently it has been just so. Therefore, we have decided it is about time to round it up and fill you in. Here is what has been going on in Manchester’s ever-thriving food scene.

1.       The lip smacking street food, trendy music, and late-night bars that B.Eat Street brought to Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse has been closed — after just seven months, the space will now be used as a private space for businesses to hire, and will no longer be open for large public events. Why oh why?!

2.       Parklife and Warehouse Project boss Sacha has invested in Manchester’s food scene by pledging himself to Eat New York — the butter-dunked bagel company can already be spotted in places like the pop-up events at SCRANcoats, but now, I’m sure, we can be expecting to see a lot more of their luxurious fillings, from hot salt beef to crab claw, all over Manchester — woohoo!

3.       Poutine pop-up coming to Didsbury — Poutine, that modern street food feast, constructed from chips, cheese, and gravy is set to turn up in West Didsbury. Head to Mary and Archie’s on the 26th of February, where Blue Caribou Canteen will be serving up some of this delightful new food trend.  See you there.

4.       Greggs have started a delivery service — Two city centre stores have started delivering our Gregg’s favourites such as the steak bake, the cheese and bean melt, and those greasy greasy pizza slices.  Put your hands up if you could easily reach that £20 minimum order.

5.       Fear not, all those belly-rumbling January deals may be over, but there are still some savings to be made. Head to The Pen and Pencil in the Northern Quarter where food is 50% off on Mondays. Or, what about Salvi’s two-course Italian lunch for £12.95 every day. I know, the weather’s too horrible, well, stay in and get 20% off takeaways from East Z East this month.

6.       3 AA Rosette chef comes to Koffee Pot — Ernest Van Zyl is coming to this Northern Quarter venue for one night only (Monday the 27th of February). Its £37 for four courses, this being a small scratch on what you normally pay for this chef’s food, so snap up a ticket and wander down to Koffee Pot.

Experiencing China at Tsinghua University

Written by Jack Greeney on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Last summer I was fortunate enough to travel to Beijing for a scholarship at China’s highest-ranked university. It was fantastic to be accepted onto the Experiencing China summer programme at Tsinghua University, expenses paid. This opportunity was offered by my school (Arts, Languages and Cultures) here at the University of Manchester — I first saw about it in a general email and applied on a whim. When success followed I couldn’t believe my luck! Exams ended and I grew increasingly excited.

Shirt and lanyard: it’s official – Photo: Jack Greeney

Then, disaster almost struck. Floods closed Visa Services for weeks: application pending, I feared the worst. Perhaps I should have anticipated July flooding, this being Manchester. Luckily I collected my passport the morning of departure; three flights later, I arrived in China. Exhausted, rattled by time zone and temperate, I found my hostel and crashed. Waking at night, I caught the subway to the Forbidden Palace gateway, lit up in the darkness. China was right in front of me, and it was stunning.

Gateway of the Forbidden City – Photo: Jack Greeney

The next morning I hauled my suitcase through the subways to the university. The campus was huge, surely larger than my hometown. Its beauty and scale left me awed and lost. Eventually I checked into my halls bedroom and unpacked. The first few days were extremely social, packed with fellow coursemates to meet. A wonderful atmosphere flourished, welcoming and talkative: everyone made lasting friendships with exceptional quickness and ease.

Basketball in the warm evenings – Photo: Jack Greeney

During the week, morning sessions featured lectures from an array of world-class keynote speakers presenting a variety of topics, with a focus on China: environment, education, history, culture, economy, governance and relations. After lunches, we went out into the city in groups with a guide. Three friends and I chose to investigate galleries. This was an excellent decision, enabling us to visit world-class art areas such as the 798 Zone and Today Art Gallery.

Around and about the galleries – Photo: Jack Greeney

Over the course, we drew up coherent plans on how to improve the areas. On the final day we presented our ideas in speeches to hundreds, and later with huge posters in an expo hall. In addition, we were instructed to write a poem (which I presented, only narrowly surviving near-fatal stage-fright) and create a human structure (which flopped, but at least I wasn’t in charge). Afterwards there was a wonderful gala dinner and ball for everyone, which was hugely enjoyed: and so too its wine.

Group Photo at the Gala – Photo: Jack Greeney

Learning was only half the experience, however. Plenty of activities were set up, like basketball, language learning, and Tai-chi. Many evenings we ventured out to see famous landmarks of Beijing and the traditional hutong; others we would stuff ourselves full of delicious Chinese food and picnic out on the athletics field all night in the warmth. During weekends, the university provided incredible bucket-list-defeating trips: the Great Wall of China, Olympic Stadium, Temple of Heaven and extraordinary traditional performances at Lao She Tea House amongst them.

The Great Wall of China – Photo: Jack Greeney

The morning after the final day, my best friends and I woke up far too early in the morning (a wincing 4am start) to go and see the sunrise flag-raising at Tiananmen Square. It was incredible to end my stay in Beijing where it had begun, outside the Forbidden City gateway, surrounded by new friends. In this instance, the words ‘life-changing’ are no cliché. Memories from this time I shall permanently cherish and yearn for once again. Our group is set to reunite this summer.

Who knew Mao’s so photogenic? – Photo: Jack Greeney

I highly recommend keeping an eye on your university inbox for anything that might crop up. As it was for me, it might well be fruitful. China was certainly experienced — and China was incredible.

PSG 4-0 Barcelona: Analysis

Written by Dane Massey on . Posted in Sport.

When Bayern Munich inflicted a 4-0 defeat upon Barcelona in the 2013 UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, it marked the Catalans heaviest defeat in a Champions League match. Almost four years on, Paris Saint-Germain matched Bayern’s feat as they thumped Luis Enrique’s side by the same score line at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday the 14th of February 2017.

After early pressure from PSG, the ball fell to Edinson Cavani’s feet in the box but he failed to convert. The home side maintained their fast start to the game, and they were rewarded as Angel di Maria curled a delightful free-kick past Marc-André Ter Stegen to put PSG 1-0 ahead.

Barcelona began to see more of the ball, but Andre Gomes fired wide after he went one-on-one with Kevin Trapp. It would soon prove costly as Julian Draxler doubled the hosts lead shortly afterwards.

Enrique’s men would have been glad to see the break, but his half-time team talk proved to have no impact as Barcelona started the second half as slow as they did the first.

Ten minutes into the half, they were made to pay once again as Di Maria, the Spanish side’s tormenter-in-chief, put PSG 3-0 up before being substituted moments later for Brazilian Lucas Moura. The Barcelona boss made a change of his own, but Lucas’ fellow Brazilian Rafinha Alcantara had little influence on the game.

PSG’s influence, however, continued to grow, and the Blaugrana’s miserable night continued when Cavani rifled a first time shot into the net, making it 4-0 on the night.

It was a night full of bad luck for Barcelona, and Samuel Umtiti’s headed effort in the latter stages of the game summed this up as the French central defender hit the post. The defeat was humiliating for Barcelona and Enrique, and it could represent more than just a loss for the latter.

Just as Tito Vilanova left his post as Barcelona manager at the end of the 2012/13 season shortly after a 7-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich, Enrique could do the same this summer or perhaps sooner.

Of course, there is a second leg to play at the Camp Nou in Spain, and if any team can turn around a 4-0 deficit, it is Barcelona. For this to happen, though, they must produce their best performance of the season and reach the standards they have set over the last two seasons – standards they have fallen short of so far this campaign.

The result shocked the football world, but it should come as no shock to Enrique following the way he set up his team, and his inability to change.

Barcelona are one of the best teams ever to have graced the football pitch, but despite their quality, they can’t beat every team playing an open, expansive style of play. PSG deserve credit, they played magnificent, but the opposition played into their hands and offered them little respect.

Barcelona afforded Di Maria and Draxler far too much space, the pair could drift inside as they pleased and influenced proceedings in their own way. The attacking duo were the stars of the show; they gave Barcelona’s defenders nightmares.

PSG’s midfield trio also played at the top of their game both individually and collectively. Frenchmen Adrien Rabiot and Blaise Matuidi, along with Italian maestro Marco Verratti crushed the Barcelona midfield, who were nowhere to be seen.

The same can be said for Barcelona in an attacking sense, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were anonymous, while Neymar, despite glimpses of promising play was shrewdly snuffed out by PSG’s incredible defensive teamwork and organisation.

These are traditional traits of Barcelona, and just under two years ago they displayed this against the same opponent, when they beat PSG 3-1 away from home in the Champions League quarter-finals on their way to winning the prize in 2015. In this match, eight of Barcleona’s starting XI on the same night also started this game.

For Barcelona, not a lot has changed in two years, but buoyed by their recent record against the Catalans, Unai Emery’s PSG would have been keen to set the record straight. Enrique, however, failed to see this.

Barcelona’s defensive struggles were clear, and they were reminiscent of Chelsea’s defensive frailties earlier on in the season. Antonio Conte, though, remained pragmatic and found the solution – switching to 3-4-3 which deployed an extra man at the back and allowed the wide players to get closer to the central striker.

On this night, it was evident that Messi and Neymar were playing too far away from Suarez, and the full-backs were pinned in by Di Maria and Draxler. A 3-4-3 system would have suited Barcelona better against PSG, a formation they have played already this season.

If Enrique took a leaf out of Conte’s book, it would have represented an act of pragmatism. In certain games, Barcelona need to display this if they are to eliminate their defensive weaknesses against sides with an abundance of attacking talent.

It is likely, however, that this will not be Enrique’s job – there is a strong possibility that he will be replaced at the end of the season as a new era dawns at FC Barcelona.

US universities to sue Donald Trump over travel ban

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in News.

In support of an existing lawsuit, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are just three of 17 Ivy League universities in the United States that have filed papers in Brooklyn federal court challenging Donald Trump’s travel ban.

President Trump signed an Executive Order in January that blocked the entry of refugees and citizens of several Muslim-majority nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — from entering the US.

In a press release issued jointly by the universities, they stated: “By prohibiting persons from freely travelling to and from this country, the Executive Order divides students and their families, impairs the ability of American universities to draw the finest international talent, and inhibits the free exchange of ideas.”

They added that the ban has “serious and chilling implications.”

The government refuted the lawsuit since no students are in custody, but according to The Independent, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously supported the blocking of this ban after upholding a lower court’s ruling. The President’s administration has stated they will fight this decision.

However, the universities have said the travel ban has already had “damaging effects” that “have already been widely felt by American universities,” adding that there is potential for the Executive Order to continue to do.

Another university amongst the 17 is Johns Hopkins in Maryland. The President of the school said that the ban “takes our country down the ominous path of erecting barriers not on the basis of a demonstrated security threat but on the basis of religion.”

He added: “The order stands in unambiguous opposition to our country’s long-cherished values and ideals.”

Scholars worldwide have called for a boycott of conferences within the US in response to the order. The court document claims that more than 42,000 academics from around the world have also signed an online petition expressing their opposition of this Executive Order.

According to the petition, there were over one million international students welcomed by US universities in the last academic year.

For instance, Yale’s international faculty makes up around 10 per cent of students, whilst 16 per cent of Columbia University’s undergraduate students are international.

The limits to minimalism

Written by Tristan Parsons on . Posted in Opinion.

Minimalism, in the sense of restricting material consumption, has become quite a trend over the last few years. Like many lifestyle movements, it has deep roots in passionate YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, where its proponents can effectively motivate its imagery: that crystal clear photo of a clear desk, or the cleansing idea and action of tidying one’s space.

Beyond this sphere, we can see minimalism variety of other forms: modern music, architecture, and art often channel the basic notion that less is more. One particularly interesting field in which minimalism features heavily is design.

This is best exemplified by Apple’s imagery. For years (though the iPad arguably reversed this trend for a moment, before going the same way) the company held obsession over making their products smaller, whilst at the same time doing more. They continued in the minimalist spirit through their adverts: a simple, upbeat backing track, a white background, a clean thumb, and the product in the middle. And it sold.

The technology sector’s adoption of minimalism was a timely strategy, given the rise of ‘individualist environmentalism’ (turning off the lights, doing the recycling etc.) in the preceding decades. The IT sector managed to sell their energy-guzzling products (partially) on the premise that they did many things with little space.

Here, today’s minimalism comes to a dilemma. It risks failing to adequately take account for the invisible and displaced ‘consumption’ in our lives. The IT sector, again, is the best example of this. Whilst Apple proudly garnishes a white background with their sleek products, the internet that so many of its products run on, though we often ignore the physical infrastructure necessary to its running, consumes 10 per cent of the world’s electricity.

Instead, minimalism picks on easier, though often worthwhile, targets. The clutter that fills living rooms, garages, and bedrooms ought to go. So, too, should the car. Downsize the home, if possible. These are all highly visible forms of consumption. The clutter adds frustration to living in one’s house; the car’s coughing exhaust pipe is visible below the plastic sheen; and housing was the centre of the last financial crash.

These visibilities do not account for the entirety of consumption involved in owning such items. There are rare earth metal components in a phone that the user will never see and likely never get replaced; yet, the mining for such metals is a major driver for the Chinese corporate ‘occupation’ of Mongolia.

I watched one of The Minimalists’ TED talks (though, of course, they do not represent the entire movement) in which they speak highly of the initial transition to minimalism. The strategy recommended is a day-by-day questioning the sentimentality and personal need for each individual item, so that one item is thrown away per day for one month.

But, before this, one must decide to become a minimalist. This moment is potentially a moment of radical politics: a fury with the materialist, modern world, and then relief from its cultures. At such a juncture, one’s perception of possessions (or commodities) are altered. In contrast to the (usually, though not always) calculated action of purchase and product accumulation for specific needs, this radicalism might scream, I don’t need ANY of this stuff.

The items become just that: stuff. Last year, IKEA said that we had “reached peak stuff” — though that claim now appears dubious. The radical within us whines about an apparently universal consumerism, seeks to leave a culture that allegedly pressures us to buy buy buy in every movement, and imagines sped-up film of shoppers scurrying amongst the glass. The patron saints of this feeling are those who go off the grid, who refuse to play the game; they run to the hills — perhaps in angry disgust, perhaps in calm solitude.

Minimalism takes issue with culture and our impact on our planet. We can see these awkward generalisations in popular environmentalism. Bernie Sanders, in his running to be the Democratic candidate in last year’s election, and then kneeling alongside Hillary Clinton on her Presidential campaign, often preached (and continues to preach) that, with regards to climate change, “the debate is over”.

Climate change cannot merely be “accepted”. Sanders, and others, too often present climate change as a singular, unquestionable phenomenon. But is not a singular thing. The expected impacts resulting from the warming of our planet (though itself not universally equal) are intensely varied. The UK will likely suffer from more damaging winter storms, areas of the USA are set to benefit from increased crop yields, and some animal species in the Amazon will become extinct. Though, Sanders’ forcefulness is understandable given that 16 per cent of Americans are still climate change deniers.

Minimalism makes many good points, it bolsters a certain political platform, and is headed in roughly the right direction. But, its radical, generalising potential threatens widespread, ‘common man’ progress towards social and environmental goals. Though it comes at an effort, we ought to recognise the individuality of different actions and their impacts. We need a politics that sees the hills but doesn’t run for them; that knows the severity of our ecological predicament but doesn’t ridicule those who do not ‘accept’ climate change; but, rather, seeks to work with reason in the face of such challenges.

How the Democrats normalised mass deportation

Written by Jack Greeney on . Posted in Opinion.

Right away, he was outspoken. Right from his very first speech: “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime”, Donald Trump said of Mexican immigrants, announcing his presidential candidacy. “They’re rapists.” 16th June 2015 might have been the genesis of a movement that cumulated at the election of President Trump. It was not, however, the genesis of American support for mass deportation. For that attitude had already been building on both sides of the fence for decades.

In 1996, the Clinton administration established a new series of laws which profoundly affected the enforcement of immigration controls. The year following the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act was presented as a measure to prevent future attacks. This law also paved the way for unbridled rights abuses against immigrants and refugees. Later that year, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act also modified US immigration laws enormously. This granted the government greater authority to detain and deport by eliminating key defences immigrants could use.

These laws established a dangerous precedent: one of broader grounds for deportation and harsher penalties for illegal entry, thus increasing powers for both the federal government and local law enforcement agencies. A 2016 report from the Human Rights Watch concludes that these “terrible” laws “rip apart” families and “fast-track deportation”, before adequate consideration from US authorities can take place. If only the acts were as far-sighted as they were lengthy in name.

Many of these relentless revisions authorised under Clinton were not fully deployed until the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks, which gave President Bush a strong mandate to do so. Under Bush, the sharp increase in rate started by Clinton continued to grow. Making full use of the 1996 enactments, Bush became the first President to deport one million people. Then two million. Not only were the raw figures shocking; so too were the methods.

Headline-grabbing workplace raids were staged: high-profile, coordinated operations using advanced technology and SWAT team helicopters. Unlike the strategy of penalising employers who hired undocumented immigrants, these physical raids were highly likely to lead to criminal charges and deportation for the undocumented individuals themselves. Bordering the realms of propaganda when covered in the news, this sensational style of hands-on busts increased general American inclination towards deportation.

In the run-up to the 2008 election, the Democratic Party shifted in this same direction, too. Democrats opposed Republican extremities with moderation in an attempt to woo a fruitful centre ground. By the time their victory was claimed, the movement towards mass deportation was already well and truly in motion. President Obama deported more people from the US than any other president. From inauguration to departure he expelled more than 2.5 million people from the country’s borders. Instead of reversing, Obama accelerated, increasing the immigration control enforcement budget by 300 percent.

It was claimed by this administration that most of those deportees were people with scorning criminal records: felons, threats to America. However, a 2014 study showed different. It revealed that two thirds of deportation cases involved people who had only committed minor infractions, such as traffic violations, or no offence at all. In fact, only 20 per cent of the total deported had been convicted of offences which could be described as “serious”. This use of rhetoric, characterising all deportees as dangerous criminals contrary to fact, is what truly sought to normalise this obscene human expulsion.

There is no question that President Trump’s ideas and policies towards immigrants are severe, even compared to past records. Trump and the Republicans clearly intend to get rid of as many of the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants as they possibly can. However, those who fear a Trump presidency may normalise his extreme views often do not see that the normalisation of mass deportation predates Trump entirely.

It is a peculiar viewpoint that America was “already great” before Trump — an implication put forward by Hillary Clinton. Perhaps it is not a viewpoint afforded to the vast majority of immigrants, undocumented or otherwise, living in the US today. As the chosen successor to record-setter Obama, Trump has inherited the most sophisticated human expulsion machine in human history: legally robust and well-resourced. On this foundation he has simply built one level upwards. For two decades now, mass deportations have been as American as the blues.

From the turn of the 20th century until 1996, the US had removed 2.1 million people from the country. The number of people removed in the two decades since Clinton’s enactments was more than double this. These “third way” positions have provided Republicans a platform to build on: founding, perpetuating and exacerbating. Rather than one-sided right-wing reconciliation, perhaps what is instead desperately required is an offer of genuine opposition; people who will truly seek to dismantle these systems in motion and not just talk about them as if the are not in motion at all.

Much like (allegedly) many of Trump’s former employees, the true builders of Trump’s deportation policies seem to be left thankless. Steps must be retraced, and when power is resumed by Democrats, a repeat of these mistakes must not be allowed. For it is not only the issue of mass deportation that has become normalised under Democratic watch. So, too, have war by executive order, kill lists, and corporate-sponsored legislation. President Trump’s plans may be severe, but they are by no means anything new.

A Dream to a Nightmare: What’s happened to Leicester City?

Written by George Green on . Posted in Sport.

In spite of last year’s heroics, it’s been a season to forget for Leicester City, with them now facing the relegation battle in the Premier League. We take a look at some of the reasons why this unexpected decline has occurred.

In May 2016 Leicester defied all odds and were crowned champions of English football for the first time in their history. They marked their elevation above all English giants like Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, proving that money is not always the key to success. They showed consistent ruthlessness in the way they played throughout the season.

However, this season, it has been a very different story. Leicester currently sit in 17th position, one point off the relegation zone and there’s been a complete dissatisfaction in the way they’ve been performing. There appeared to be, at the beginning of last season, such a buzz around the football club — but this has been almost non-existent this campaign.

It was always going to be a difficult task to retain the Premier League title, most much more experienced top flight Clubs have struggled in the past also. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri had admitted that it would in fact be “impossible” for Leicester to retain it. The expectation from many was that they would finish around mid-table this year — instead they are fighting the relegation battle in February. Lots of fans and pundits put this down to the loss of a key player.

N’Golo Kanté was sold to Chelsea in the 2016 summer transfer window for around £32 million. He was undoubtedly a vital player for Leicester last season, topping the charts for the amount of interceptions and he even paved his way into the PFA team of the season. He was the one player who really made the team tick. A fair few pundits put Leicester’s decline on his shoulders, considering he’s done the same thing at Chelsea, and they currently sit eight points clear at the top.

However, can the absence of one player be the reason for a drop of 16 positions down the table? Probably not. The whole dynamic of the team needs to be assessed to make such claims.

Jamie Vardy made a name for himself last season as a prolific goal scorer by winning the Premier League Player of the Season, a remarkable achievement. He holds the record for scoring in the most consecutive premier league matches (11). However, he’s been off-target this season, only scoring five goals in twenty games. The Swansea City fans were eager to point this out last weekend — “F*** off Jamie Vardy, you’ve had your f****** party, you’re going down down down”.

Similarly, Riyad Mahrez hasn’t continued with last season’s brilliance. He was arguably the most important player for Leicester last year, his skill and influences in big games were phenomenal. Barcelona legend Xavi claimed that Mahrez was “good enough” to play for the Spanish giants and that they should have signed him. Although, like Vardy, he’s performed below par this campaign, showing signs of laziness.

Vardy’s and Mahrez’s inability to continue their superb form for this campaign could be a reason why Leicester haven’t maintained their dominance, especially in an attacking sense. Key players should be able to perform consistently, but at the moment, the pair look like one-trick ponies.

We spoke to some die hard Leicester City supporters about the current situation and why they think they’re in such a mess. Thomas Miles said that there has been a “complete loss of life” at the club. Mr Miles also claimed that “other teams know how to play against us this season, we’ve become flat and predictable”.

Gary Neville recently blamed Leicester’s downfall on their defensive issues. He said that the mistakes the players have been making are “nothing to do with coaching”, and just down to “a lack of common sense”. Neville also made the statement that each player should seriously take a look at “their own individual levels of performance”, and in spite of what’s happened to them, it’s hard to disagree with this.

It hasn’t been a complete horror show for the club, they’ve made it to the last 16 of the Champions League, so something has gone right for them. It’s just in the Premier League that they’ve been really struggling.

There are a variety of reasons why this has been a poor season for Leicester. With all facts considered, the deterioration can be put down to the combination of losing key players, key players not performing well enough and a lack of hunger.

It would be remarkable if Leicester were relegated this season, especially if they were to go on and win the Champions League — they’ve already proved that anything’s possible. Imagine that, the Champions of Europe regularly playing against teams like Nottingham Forrest and Brentford.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The rise of menswear

Written by Sarah Kilcourse on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

As with most things created in the human history of ever, fashion started for men. Heels would be a prime example of a trend that men began and women merely imitated; however, in today’s modern world fashion has long been considered a female territory. But a little gap in the fashion framework is just beginning to open.

This is largely thanks to one of Manchester’s most famous associates (don’t fret I know he isn’t actually Manc), Mr David Beckham. Although it was many moons ago that we took delight in his meterosexual stylings he very publicly made it acceptable for men to take pride in their appearance. From his dabbling in frosted tips, to his underwear campaigns, David Beckham is the face that relaunched men’s style.

In more recent years the London’s Men’s Collection’s has become a growing event in the fashion calendar, famous face like our reverend Mr Beckham, along with Tinie Tempah, Oliver Cheshire, David Gandy or Nick Grimshaw have made fashion cool. They have showcased that men’s style can vary greatly from a simple jeans and shirt combo. And oh how the fashion industry has rallied to cry of men seeking new looks.

Many of the old powerhouses of fashion have long shown menswear collections: Gucci, Burberry, Armani and Ralph Lauren; however, new up-and-coming brands are finding a space for themselves in the market: Sibling, House of Holland and Vetements all create overtly ‘fashion’ pieces. There are seemingly no rules to mens fashion anymore — just think of Rick Owens AW15 collection, seemingly a swing of the schlong is an acceptable fashion statement post-Beckham.

As the men’s fashion show’s become a bigger event, even merging in with womenswear collection (but that is an entirely different conversation) designers are looking to models to be the face of their collections. So, the ever increasing menswear industry is creating supermodels of its own, models no longer limited to spreading their legs in an underwear billboard. The ‘it’ male model of the moment is Lucky Blue Smith, he walked pretty much every major catwalk and became a member of Olivier Rousteing’s infamous Balmain army, and he is set to be the tip of the male model iceberg.

All in all the growing menswear collection can only be seen positively, mainly because it means it is becoming less and less acceptable to see men in fleeces, which frankly can only be a blessing from the fashion gods.

Department of Health to remove NHS staff safety body

Written by tabitha hanks on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

NHS Protect will be ending its security management operations in hospitals by April this year, under order of the Department of Health, according to a recent report from the BBC.

The body currently works by advising hospitals on improving staff safety and educating staff on how to avoid, handle and report incidents of physical assault, violence and aggression in clinical settings. It is yet to be decided whether the body will be reassigned to a different department, and which department will shoulder the responsibility.

NHS Protect was established in 2003 to reduce crime across NHS front-line services. One of its priorities was to enforce the NHS’ zero tolerance policy on violence towards healthcare workers.

Amongst its five strategic aims is “establish[ing] a safe and secure environment [to] protect NHS staff from violence, harassment and abuse”. Since it was introduced, NHS Protect has shown a “significant increase” in prosecution of offenders, with up to 98 per cent of annual physical assaults on A&E staff resulted in the arrest of the offending party.

However, figures published by NHS Protect show annual assaults on staff rose by 18 per cent between 2011 and 2015, with the total number reaching 70,555, highlighting staff safety as a continually serious issue.

Healthcare workers in the NHS are up to four times more likely to experience physical assault in their professional environment than other workers.

A first year medical student at the University of Manchester, who wished to remain anonymous, has said he “feel[s] worried as removing this [body] will only increase the number of incidences and puts me as well as other future doctors more at risk.”

He further expressed concerns that such measures could result in a “drop in patient care due to medical staff not knowing what to do in such situations”.

The Government’s Health Service Circular in 2001 noted that in certain circumstances it is appropriate, and safer, to withhold treatment from aggressive or violent individuals in order to ensure the safety of staff and other patients.

The majority of patient assaults are related to medical reasons, so a lack of suitable training amongst staff to handle such cases may lead to negligence of patients with violent or aggressive tendencies due to mental illness.

The decision to transfer the responsibility for the security of staff comes at a time when the NHS is under the severest strain it has ever seen. Accident & Emergency waiting times in recent months have been at their highest since 2004, when the Labour Government introduced the target of a 4-hour maximum wait time for patients to be seen by a doctor.

A Department of Health associated publication on reducing violence in A&E units linked longer waiting times with patient and relative aggression; with a consistent and growing failure to meet waiting time targets, it is more likely that violence and threats towards staff will rise.

Such working conditions could see a further shortage of trained staff as well as a decline in applications for healthcare training courses across England. Currently nursing vacancies exceed 24,000 and only 50 per cent of those completing medicine degrees in UK universities continue their specialist studies here.

Since the Brexit referendum applications for NHS jobs from the EU have declined enormously, with nursing alone seeing a decline of 90 per cent in EU workers registering.

Staff shortages could rise significantly in the coming years, especially without a defined body to ensure staff safety and prevent assaults on front-line workers.